The next WWG meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at 7:30pm at the VFW in Falls Church, Virginia.
The presentation will be How Did They Do That — Working Wood, 1650 to 1900 by Oscar Fitzgerald
Oscar will describe the historical and cultural influences in American furniture design, and the materials, tools, and practices furniture makers innovated to meet the changing needs of a growing nation.
Oscar received his M.A. and Ph.D. in history and worked at the Naval Historical Center writing the official History of the Vietnam war and then as Director of the Navy Museum when he decided to retire and pursue full time his interest in American furniture.
He taught the furniture courses in the Smithsonian/ George Washington MA program in the history of Decorative Arts and has lectured widely including on an Atlantic crossing on the Elizabeth II cruise ship.
He has written half a dozen books on American furniture including the catalogue of furniture in the Renwick and American Furniture: 1650 to the Present which is the standard textbook in the field. He is currently working on a biography of Tommy Simpson, a contemporary studio furniture maker and artist which will be out in early 2025.